"I object, Lord Shinji. Even if Uchiha Xuan is a genius, his current strength is simply insufficient. To command three Elite Jōnin on an external mission—how can such a heavy responsibility be handed to a child? This is a complete joke! I, Uchiha Sora, absolutely refuse to submit!"
Sora declared sternly, practically voicing the exact thoughts of every single Elite Jōnin in the room.
Uchiha Shinji remained entirely noncommittal. He asked calmly, "So that is your thought. Xuan, what is yours?"
Xuan had been waiting precisely for this question. He instantly shed his relaxed, leisurely demeanor. His entire aura sharpened like a freshly unsheathed sword. In the brief moment his eyes blinked open and shut, the demonic three tomoe emerged, radiating a cold, bloody aura.
"The rule of the Warring States is simple: the strong prey upon the weak. Since you refuse to submit, Uchiha Sora, there is nothing left to say. Let us settle this with our own two hands," Xuan stated. His voice was exceptionally cold, laced with an undisguised killing intent that sent a chill down the listeners' spines.
He had been waiting for this exact moment. These Elite Jōnin were all insufferably arrogant. If he wanted to seize absolute control of the north, they were a hurdle he absolutely had to overcome. After all, he couldn't just overtly command Uchiha Shinji to force them into submission; that would arouse massive suspicion.
And the simplest, most effective way to make them submit was to make them fear him—to make them understand that his raw strength was more than enough to completely crush them.
Xuan's declaration sent a ripple of shock through the Elite Jōnin. Their reactions varied. Two of them nodded secretly, seemingly appreciating his ruthless attitude. Three of them sneered disdainfully, thinking him wildly arrogant. One remained completely indifferent, acting as if he couldn't care less.
Sora was also momentarily taken aback, not expecting Xuan to react so aggressively. But a second later, he burst into boisterous laughter. "Hahaha! Did I hear that right? A twelve-year-old Jōnin is actually challenging me to a duel right in front of everyone? Hahaha! Did all that 'genius' flattery go straight to your head? Do you actually believe your own hype? Fine! I'll use this opportunity to teach you a harsh lesson in reality!"
Sora's final words dripped with icy malice. As he blinked, his fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan activated, glaring directly at Xuan in a perfectly matched standoff.
"Lord Shinji, Uchiha Xuan is insufferably arrogant and has officially challenged me. I formally request the activation of the Life and Death Arena!" Sora turned and petitioned Shinji.
That single sentence completely shocked the other six Elite Jōnin. They thought this was merely a typical clash of egos—a simple spar to settle a dispute. They never imagined Sora would actually invoke the Life and Death Arena.
The so-called "Life and Death Arena" wasn't a physical fighting ring within the Uchiha clan.
Wherever there are people, there are disputes. Wherever there are disputes, there is conflict. This was unavoidable, even within one's own clan, especially in a massive Warring States powerhouse like the Uchiha.
However, since shinobi were indispensable military assets to the clan, private, lethal duels were generally strictly prohibited. Conflicts were usually resolved through arbitration or other means. But there are always exceptions to every rule. When two parties believed their blood feud had reached a point of absolute irreconcilability, the concept of the Life and Death Arena came into play.
Under the official supervision and authentication of a Peak Jōnin, the two shinobi would sign a life-and-death contract. Following that, they would engage in a one-on-one duel with no holds barred. Victory went to the strong; the loser forfeited their life. That was the absolute law of the Life and Death Arena.
"Lord Shinji, I do not believe this matter warrants the Life and Death Arena. The two of them merely have a minor disagreement; there is no irreconcilable blood feud between them. Uchiha Xuan is simply young and impulsive. A brief spar to let him experience the true strength of an Elite Jōnin is more than enough. There is absolutely no need to escalate this to a matter of life and death. He is, after all, the premier genius of our clan's next generation."
One of the Elite Jōnin suddenly stood up and spoke out. His name was Uchiha Mu, the very same man who had been the lone voice advocating to strictly defend Xin City earlier.
Xuan glanced at him and said, "You have my thanks. However, since Uchiha Sora desires a life-and-death duel, I will naturally oblige him. I agree to the activation of the Life and Death Arena and consent to sign the contract."
Uchiha Mu frowned deeply. He took a long look at Xuan, shook his head, and sat back down. Since the party in question had agreed, he had no further grounds to object.
Uchiha Shinji stated, "The Life and Death Arena... it has been quite a while since I've overseen one. Since both parties are in agreement, let the life-and-death struggle commence. I shall bear witness to this duel. Both shinobi will fight until one falls. Life or death is entirely in your own hands."
Sora turned around. The bloody three tomoe in his eyes radiated freezing killing intent. He sneered, "Brat, it's too late for regrets now. I'm going to make you wish you were never born."
Xuan didn't yield an inch, returning the cold sneer. "You're about to die, yet you still talk so much nonsense." With that, he turned and strode out of the main hall.
Sora gritted his teeth furiously, cursing under his breath, "You little mongrel... I'm going to crush every bone in your body. Let's see how arrogant you are then."
The war council was held in the main hall of Xin City's commander's manor. Outside the hall was a massive, open courtyard—more than spacious enough for two shinobi to fight. Xuan stepped out first, waiting for Sora to follow.
A moment later, Sora walked out, taking a stance roughly ten meters away. The six Elite Jōnin and Uchiha Shinji followed them outside to spectate the duel.
"So... who do you think will win?" an Elite Jōnin asked the man beside him quietly. His name was Uchiha Ran. The man he asked was Uchiha Gō—one of the three Elite Jōnin Shinji had assigned to Xuan's strike team.
Uchiha Gō let out a disdainful scoff. He had been extremely dissatisfied when Shinji placed him under the brat's command and had fully intended to voice his opposition, but Sora had beaten him to the punch. Naturally, he had nothing good to say now. "You're asking the obvious. Even if that kid truly is a once-in-a-century genius, he still needs time to grow. He's only been a Jōnin for a few years! The density of his chakra, his total chakra reserves, and his overall chakra control are still miles behind ours! Every single one of us Elite Jōnin has crawled our way up through life-and-death slaughter. You shouldn't be asking who will win; you should be asking how many moves he can survive before Sora breaks him."
Similar conversations were taking place among the other Elite Jōnin. Uchiha Takeshi—the other Elite Jōnin assigned to Xuan's team—chuckled lightly. "I bet three moves. Uchiha Sora might be an insufferable, arrogant prick on a normal day, but his strength is the real deal. Even I have to admit that in a one-on-one fight, I might not be his match. Three moves tops, and Uchiha Xuan will undoubtedly suffer a crushing defeat."
"Sigh. What a pity. Becoming a Jōnin at nine... such aptitude is incredibly rare in the entire history of the Uchiha. He simply doesn't know how to pick his battles. To actually agree to the Life and Death Arena..."
"The world is cruel. If you actively seek death, you must pay the price. People who blindly provoke experts stronger than themselves are bound to die out there eventually. It's better he dies by our own hands."
Five of the Elite Jōnin voiced their opinions one after another. Without a single shadow of a doubt, not a single one of them favored Xuan. After all, the massive gap between a Jōnin and an Elite Jōnin couldn't be bridged by a few fancy Ninjutsu.
Only Uchiha Mu remained completely silent. He had his eyes closed, seemingly entirely apathetic toward the duel. Perhaps in his mind, the outcome had already been decided the moment the challenge was issued.
Standing off to the side, Uchiha Shinji watched the Elite Jōnin with an expressionless face. Internally, however, he was sneering coldly. A bunch of absolute idiots.
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